Author(s)

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2004

Publication Source

Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment

Abstract

The current study examined the relationship of the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality to primary and secondary psychopathic dispositions in a noninstitutionalized sample. Previous investigations suggest that Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism are basic personality traits that characterize psychopathy. However, few studies have examined the relationship of the FFM to primary and secondary psychopathic attributes, respectively. In the current study, the relationship of the FFM using the NEO-PI-R to primary and secondary psychopathic dispositions was investigated in a sample of young adults. Previous findings were extended by (1) addressing the relationship of higher and lower order FFM traits (i.e., facet scales) to primary and secondary psychopathy in a subclinical sample and (2) examining sex differences in FFM traits in relation to these two psychopathic dispositions. Although a number of differences were found between men and women for the FFM in terms of primary psychopathy, few sex differences were noted with respect to secondary psychopathy. In addition, examination of facet scale relationships to primary and secondary psychopathy further clarify the role of the FFM in psychopathy. These findings lend further support to the use of domain and facet scales of the NEO-PI-R in the identification of personality pathology in noninstitutionalized populations.

Inclusive pages

213-223

ISBN/ISSN

0882-2689

Document Version

Postprint

Comments

The article archived here is the authors' accepted manuscript. Some differences may exist between the manuscript and the published version; as such, researchers wishing to quote directly from this resource are advised to consult the version of record.